Wednesday, January 25, 2006

The Book Dilemma

Each time I go on a romance review website, I end up with a list of books to buy that's too long for my wallet. Of course, I throw caution to the wind and get myself to my local UBS and proceed to buy everything in site (the books on the list and others that just look -yes...LOOK- good). A few of these books come highly recommended by a majority of the review sites on the web. The covers are sexy. The storylines appear promising YET for months they sit in my TBR trunk (yes, the little box I had for them will no longer do). Some books I just am not in the mood for; they're books in which it is all too obvious the hero and heroine will have to go through hell and back before they get together (Balogh's THE SECRET PEARL) and I have to be in the right mood for them. Other books seem too convoluted. Some books have been built up in my mind so much that I'm afraid of reading them and hating every minute of the experience.

Eloisa James' new series is a good example. I own the first two books and am eagerly awaiting the third one, due out in a few months YET I haven't even started reading them. I don't know what they're really about, but I keep on buying them and hoping that I will ultimately love them. Does this happen to anyone else? I think I have a serious problem.

The books look good, but they appear way too complicated. Too many characters, I guess. I tried reading a James’ book a year ago and hated it. I don’t even remember the name of the book; I don’t want to remember it. I wiped it out of my memory ala Jim Carrey in ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (an excellent film, by the way). Why did I buy her other books? Well…1) I got them cheap at a UBS and 2) ok…I admit I allowed everyone on the Avon Board and All About Romance to convince me that I would enjoy them.

I’m now at a loss. I have no idea what to read next.

I just finished Teresa Medeiros's AFTER MIDNIGHT. Loved it!!! I was never into paranormal or vampire love stories, but this one is quite good...more historical than anything else. The hero in her next book is a vampire. I have no idea how she'll work his love story out, but I'm looking forward to finding out.

What should I read? Should I challenge myself and read Eloisa James or should I just say “FUCK IT” and go for a good old Galen Foley book or maybe reread a Kleypas or Quinn? Or read one of the books I recently got for $6.75 (still can’t believe it)? No clue! I guess I’ll figure it out tonight…nothing on TV, so reading it is!

2 comments:

CindyS said...

We should come up with a name for this condition because I know you aren't the only one to suffer from it.

Like you I have books (notice plural) by authors I haven't even had a chance to read yet. One lucky glom was Lisa Kleypas. I believe I had 5 in the TBR pile before I read one and now I am glad they are there. Same with Julia Quinn.

I also have Sabrina Jefferies (3) but I haven't read her before. I don't even know how many Susan Squire books I have but again, haven't read her.

I now try to make a concerted effort not to buy books by authors I haven't tried and who are already in the TBR pile. Course, then I worry the books will be out of print by the time I get around to needing them.

Gah.

CindyS

Kristie (J) said...

I do this quite a bit too. Boy a number of books in a series without ever having read one. The Tina St. John Heart ones come to mind. I have 3 of them now and I haven't read them. Weird isn't it that we do this